The Myths behind the bitbeasts
by Tuli-Susi
Summary: Previously titled 'Fable of the Pheonix. Mths about some of the bladers bitbeasts. Ch4: Gryphon
1. Fable of the Pheonix

**A/N**: I really just wanted everyone to hear of all the different legends of the Phoenix. It is one of my favourite creatures (and no, _not_ because it is Kai's bit-beast) Just wanted to see what everyone thought and if you've heard any other legends.

**Summary**: What exactly is the legend behind the Phoenix? Here is (are) the true story (stories) **_PLEASE READ THE WARNING_**!

**Warning**: If you are highly religious or easily take offence, then **_please read the author notes at the end_**. It never has been, nor ever will be, my intention to offend anyone.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing in this story. (Except Kai's first paragraph, but that's only an introduction.) Literally, nothing. Obviously not the characters, but also the legends themselves. You can find a multitude of legends about the phoenix everywhere. They only have a few similarities; all I did was to combine a few of my favourite ones. I think I read the 'seven tails' on someone's fic, if you did write it, please tell me so I can give you your credit!

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The Fable of the Phoenix

Another tournament was coming up. Since the bladers in so many teams were scattered across the globe, G-Rev and BEGA were good examples, Mr Dickenson had decided to rope all the teams together in one training camp. Each team had separate training arenas and gyms. It was out in the countryside so they weren't bothered by fans, an idyllic setting. The teams all met together for dinner and relaxing in the evening. Breakfast and Lunch were out since each team had a different schedule.

Presently, they had all congregated in the largest sitting room. All the bladers from each team were there: BBA Revolution, Blitzkrieg Boys, White Tigers, PPB All Starz, Majestic's, Barthez Battalion, F-Dynasty and BEGA. The older bladers were either napping, reading, writing or drawing. The younger ones were engaged in a discussion on beyblades and their bit-beasts. Everyone's attention was focused as they heard Kai's voice. He didn't usually speak, as a result, everyone sat up to listen.

"Have you never a heard tell of the beauty of the Phoenix?"

"No, I haven't seen any pictures either."

"Yeah, all anyone knows is that's it's a red bird who can't die." Kai sadly shook his head.

"Then you know nothing of the true beauty that is the immortal and mystical Phoenix."

"Then tell us!"

"Yeah! We don't have anything else to do; it would help waste some time"

"Tyson!"

"Well, it would…"

"Not the point! I want to hear the legend, please Kai? Please?"

"Hn…very well. But you must promise to listen closely and take everything I say to heart."

"We will, we will! We'll even gag Tyson!"

"Hey! You can't do th-mph!"

"See, we're quiet now Kai! Please start!"

"Very well. Make yourselves comfortable for this may take a while."

The bladers, both young and old settled down to hear the story. Robert and Johnny even paused their chess game in favour of hearing the dual haired Russian speak.

Kai sat for a moment, head bowed, the fire emphasizing his two toned hair. Then the bluenette raised his head and gazed into the flames. With the light dancing in his crimson eyes, he began to speak.

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The legends of the Phoenix are many and varied. This mystical bird spreads her wings through the ages, across millenniums of history, and more importantly, across many different religions. She is included in pagan, Greek, Egyptian, and even Christianity. She has outlived everything but the fires that birthed her and the Earth itself. Keep this in mind as you listen to these stories. Everyone has a different perspective on the mythical being.

At the dawn of time, the Earth was created from the fires of the Universe. It created the Gods who moulded the Earth into a habitable place. They created the world as we know it and the animals that live here.

They also created Paradise. It was here that the most beautiful creature on earth dwelt. The phoenix was a magnificent bird, red in colour. She had seven tails, similar to a lion's. But she did not have the tuft of hair like a lions. Nor did she have the feathers that covered her entire body. Instead, soft fur covered the end of each tail. Nestled in the centre of the spear-head shape was a perfect, flawless diamond (A/N: sorry to interrupt, but this part I did make up). She was mostly red in colour, but her wing-feathers had hues of purple and blue, orange yellow and green. Her beak was the colour of gold and shone in the light with such brightness as to rival the Sun. And she was the only one of her kind. All the other animals had mates and families, but she was alone.

This was because the Gods had created her for a reason, a purpose. Each day, as the Sun God drove his chariot out of his gates, the Phoenix would fly in from of him and absorb the most dangerous of the Sun's rays, making the light and warmth safe for the other creatures. It is said that the Sun God drove his chariot out of a different gate each day, as can be seen by the different locations of the Sun, and the great Phoenix is said to have 365 feathers.

But eventually, the Phoenix began to feel tired and old. As there was no death in Paradise, she knew that she would have to fly away, and so she did. She journeyed across the globe to Arabia. Here, she collected precious woods and spices. From there, she built her nest in a tall tree. As the Sun God began to drive his chariot across the sky, the Phoenix lifted her beautiful head and began to sing. It was a song of light and dark, or creation and destruction, of life and of death. But above all, it was beautiful. All listened to the haunting melody. Even the Sun God himself reigned in his horses and for the duration of the song, the Universe was at a standstill.

But then the song ended as the Sun God whipped up his chariot and continued on his way. As he passed, the sparks from the wheels and his own burning tresses fell onto the nest that the Phoenix sat in. as the sparks landed, the flammable cinnamon burst into flames and the nest, with the Phoenix in it, was consumed in seconds. The ashes drifted gently down and collected at the base of the tree.

Minutes later, the pile of ash began to shake and move. From its depths, a small bird emerged, the baby phoenix. The small bird rested there, feeding and growing on the strong scents that drifted on the winds. After three days, she was strong enough to fly away. Taking the nest with her, she travelled to Heliopolis, the City of the Sun in Egypt. There she left the remains of the nest on the alter. As the young Phoenix was flying across the land, many birds joined her. Hawks and Eagles flew alongside hummingbirds and sparrows. All momentarily forgot their hunger and prey lived alongside the predator. They flew across the Earth until the reached the borders of Paradise. There, the Phoenix entered to live in peace once again while the other birds had to turn back.

But this is not the only tale of how the Phoenix is re-born. Some say that a worm crawled out of the ashes which in three days grew to the Phoenix. Still others declare that when the bird knew she would die, she would hurl herself to the ground. The impact would break through skin and feathers. Out of the blood, a young Phoenix would rise. Together they would fly to Heliopolis where the elder would die on the alter.

Another thing that the legends do not agree on is the life-span of the Phoenix. The most common is a thousand years, a millennium. Some say 100 years, some say 500. Others believe it to be one day. Since the Phoenix is the bird of fire and Sun, she would die each night and be re-born each morning. The Egyptians believe it to be 1460 years. The reason for this odd number is deceptively simple. Each year is made up of 365 days…and one quarter. Instead of a leap year, the Egyptians 'saved up' the quarter days. After 1460 years, they had enough quarter days to make up on whole year which they inserted into their calendar with great joy. It is said that they celebrated the event by painting an eagle to look like a Phoenix and burning it in a nest made of rare woods and spices.

But the Phoenix is not known solely for the aforementioned traits. She also had other mystical abilities. One roman Emperor was fascinated with the Phoenix and believed that if he could eat her heart, then he would become immortal. He sent slaves all over the globe to look for the Phoenix. One brought back a bird that bore a similar likeness, but was discovered later to be a bird of Paradise.

The Phoenix is also an important symbol for Christians. It symbolizes their lord Jesus Christ. He was crucified, died, and resurrected three days later. The brother of the famous Joan of Arc inscribed on her gravestone 'her death itself will be her birth'. Edward Seymour (Son of Jane Seymour, third wife to Henry the Eighth, King of England had) the words 'that another may be born' carved into his mother's marker. In many of the ancient civilisations, the phoenix was used to represent one of their Gods.

The mysterious and marvellous Phoenix spans all the religions through the ages, yet only three things are constant. She is a bird of the Sun and fire with the power of rebirth.

* * *

There were a few minutes of silence. Everyone was still digesting the legends, told in Kai's mesmerizing voice. Daichi, ever curious, was the first to break the silence.

"Umm…Kai…"

The blue-haired boy hadn't moved since he had begun. He was still gazing into the fire.

"Yes Daichi?"

"What does the Phoenix eat? Or does she need to?"

"She feeds on the dew of the heavens and the nectar of the stars. And as in the legend, the spicy scents from Arabia. Like her counterpart, the Unicorn, she eats nothing that is not already dead. This way she does not cause pain to any living organisms."

Since Kai had answered his question so calmly, Daichi screwed up his courage to ask one more. Despite the frantic waving of Tyson indicating that he shouldn't push his luck.

"And…why do you always say 'she'?"

"Because the Phoenix is always female. Females are the mothers, the ones who are able to reproduce. The Phoenix could not be reborn if she was not female. There are some laws of this Universe that even the Phoenix must adhere to. Birth and death are two of them.

* * *

Matilda had listened to all with an excitement. She loved legends and fantasy. It was a surprise that Kai had known so much, but she knew that no-one else would have told the same story with that much passion. She really did believe in the Phoenix. Looking around, she saw the awed faces of the other bladers. She knew she wasn't the only one enthralled. Even Robert and Johnny were listening intently. Their chess game forgotten. Daichi's questioned had been answered without scorn and the cold tone had been absent from the Russian's voice. Maybe he would answer her question to.

"Kai…you mentioned the Unicorn as the counterpart to the Phoenix…what did you mean by that?"

Kai rose from his chair. He lips were unsmiling, but his eyes still held the warmth that had been evident in his voice.

"The tale of the Unicorn…that one I should leave to Oliver…" The French greenette shook his head vigorously.

"No way Kai, no-one can make the legends as real as you do. Besides, you probably know more than me." Kai shrugged.

"Very well then, the legend of the Unicorn…" everyone sat forward expectantly. "Is a tale for another time." Mass groans. Kai's eyes sparkled with amusement. "It's late and everyone has training tomorrow. Bed."

"But you will tell us sometime, won't you Kai?" persisted Matilda. The Russian halted in the doorway. He glanced over his shoulder, noting all the expectant faces.

"Maybe…we'll see…tomorrow…" with s swirl of his scarf, he was gone.

The silence that followed the Russian's departure was broken by Brooklyn's voice.

"Now I know why Dranzer chose Kai to wield her."

The remaining blader looked at the ginger-haired teen. He read the looks of puzzlement on their expressions and smiled softly. He turned and faced the door.

"Because Kai is the human Phoenix, the only one of it's kind."

* * *

**A/N:** so, how'd you like it? For more fables in different religions, simply Google 'Phoenix' I'm sure more will come up. Flames are welcome, unless they deal with the religious aspect. Then they will be used to heat my toes which are borderline freezing (who knew the coast could get so cold?) The same with people complaining that the legends 'are wrong'. They're legends, just because you've heard a different version doesn't mean it's the correct one. (I'd usually say that they are all correct, but in this case it's kinda contradictory…)

**A/N2: **Just a note, I am in no way religious, but my parents are Christians. If this story offends anyone from any religion, then I am sorry. You will notice that there are many religions mentioned. That's because, like it or not, all include the legends of the Phoenix. Also, I believe that Kai was brought up to be academically intelligent. As such, and because he loves his bit-beast, then he would have researched all the legends about her. (And yes, I believe Dranzer is female, she _looks_ female) I do realize that some people (more in the past than now and I'm pretty sure you're all okay with it, especially if you read the DaVinci Code and liked it) take offence very easily at the idea that religions are connected and share many of the same characteristics.

**A/N3:** yes another one…about another chapter, if enough people read and review and request another chapter, then I'll put one up about the Unicorn, and change the title. It's actually pretty cool how many bladers have mythical bit-beasts. I could do stories about: Unicorns, griffins, werewolves, vampires, Poseidon, Zeus, dragons...you get the picture. And I don't mean the regular, Disney (or WB) versions, the real, old legends...the Unicorn has an interesting link back to Ancient China too...


	2. Unicorn Unveiled

A/N: I finally found the book! Sorry, when we moved (years_ ago_) we never really fully unpacked. But now I've found the book where this story is! It's less complicated than the Phoenix's so I'll just copy it.

Warning: Not really that many characters, mostly ancient myths. The book I took the information from was published in 1973 so bear that in mind when it says 'recent'.

Summary: The tale of the mystical Unicorn

Disclaimer: I own the beginning the ending paragraphs, but that's about it. No characters, no mythical beings, no ideas.

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The Unicorn Unveiled

"Checkmate."

"Damn." Jonny stared at the board, trying to see where he had gone wrong. Robert couldn't help smirking. That made it McGregor's third loss that night and eighth overall. The poor Scott was just not as good as the German noble. "Okay," sighed Johnny, "I've had enough, let's do something else!"

"Like what?" asked Robert, smiling. He didn't mind, truth to be told, he was getting bored of chess as well. A change of pace couldn't go amiss.

"I agree with you," grumbled Garland. He had been sitting on a nearby chair trying to read. He casually tossed his book onto a table. "I'm bored!"

The three boys glanced around the room. Everyone was in a similar, lax state. Bladers were draped over random pieces or furniture, trying to read or working on their own projects. Kenny and Emily were huddled over a laptop, but they didn't look too interested. In other words, their noses _weren't_ pressed to the screen. Brooklyn was staring at the darkness outside, Tyson and Daichi were playing thumb wars, the Battalion looked like they were playing hangman, Rei and Lee seemed engrossed in rock-paper-scissors whereas Enrique and Julia were engaged in a staring match while Oliver looked helplessly between them. Seeing the last, Robert decided _something_ needed to be done.

"Any ideas?" he asked his two companions. He noticed Garland's eyes straying to a certain blader sitting peacefully in a high-backed chair. Robert's own eyes opened considerably. "No way."

Garland shrugged. "Why not?"

"And what pray are you suggesting?" demanded Johnny. "What can _Kai_ do to liven things up around here?"

"Storytelling." Garland stated as he stood up and stretched. "It's worth a shot, the worst he can say is no." The two Europeans exchanged blank looks as the fighter made is way over to the two-toned teen. Technically, that _wasn't_ the worst he could do, but Garland had already reached his destination.

Kai opened his eyes and looked up. Garland smiled, a tad nervous. Kai didn't blink. Garland swallowed, now more than just a little nervous. He could practically see Robert and Johnny counting down the seconds to his demise. Kai decided that he had had enough.

"What do you want?" Garland jumped slightly at the low growl, but no-one else noticed. The silver-haired teen fidgeted slightly. Kai frowned, he was getting impatient. "Well?"

"Asyoucanseeeveryonesreallyreallyboredbutyoualreadyknowthatsoiwaswonderingifyoucouldhelpbytellingastorylikeyoudidlasttimejustnotthepheonixmaybeanothercreaturethatisifyouwouldntminditsjustthattheresnothingelseto…do…so…yeah…"Garland trailed off as he realized that crimson eyes were boring into his head. He shifted nervously.

"…what?" Garland blinked in surprise. "I'm surprised that you're able to say that in one breath, now can you repeat it but this time with pauses? There are spaces between words for such a purpose. It's so others can understand what you say." Garland flushed.

"There's nothing to do so I was wondering if you could humour us with a story, your last one about the Phoenix was really captivating."

"Now _that's _comprehensible," Kai drawled, "and I do believe you used only half the amount of words. Garland's blush darkened.

"So…will you do it?" asked Garland hopefully.

Kai shrugged. "Are people really _that_ bored?" Garland glanced around the room again. The only difference was that Oliver looked slightly exasperated.

"Enrique and Julia are having a glaring contest. But at least they have a purpose. Brook isn't the only one staring into space tonight."

"Fine." Kai sighed. "Though I'm probably going to regret this…"

"Great!" Garland jumped up enthusiastically and Kai eyes him warily. "Stay right there and I'll get everyone's attention!" He proceeded to run around the room and inform everyone. Kai watched, mildly amused at the fact that everyone dropped everything and gathered round the fire.

The two-toned blader shook his head and waited for everyone to make themselves comfortable. When he was sure he had everyone's attention (it took less time than he had anticipated – they must have been _really_ bored) he began.

"The other night, I told you the myth of the great fire bird, the Phoenix. There is another creature, more well known to humankind. One that is far gentler and more realistic." He nodded to Oliver. "As promised, Polanski, here is the tale of your bit-beast."

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The particular companion of the Phoenix is the creature associated with the moon: the Unicorn. Like the moon, the unicorn is distant and remote and also very gentle. Its single horn resembles that of the moon – whose two 'horns' (the ends of a crescent moon) are in fact only one. The Chinese name for a unicorn was a _ki-lin_ and the _ki-lin_ seems to have existed long before the unicorn in Europe and to have been very similar to it.

It is possible that in both continents real one-horned animals did exist and that the unicorn is not just an imaginary creature. Certainly there were individual examples of one-horned animals, usually symbols of power given as gifts to a powerful man. For example, Pericles was given a one-horned ram to show that he was to be leader of Athens. Perhaps these animals had been treated in a special way to make them one-horned, as was done recently in an experiment in the United States. There, the two horn buds of a young calf were grafted and moved to the middle of the animals' forehead. They grew into one straight horn; and the calf grew into a bull or exceptional strength, and at the same time unusual gentleness – both characteristics of the unicorn.

The strength of the unicorn is supposed to be so great that nobody could catch or hold him. But he was so gently and mild that if a virgin wearing a crown of flowers and fragrant perfumes would go alone into the forest, the unicorn would come and kneel beside her, laying his horns in her lap, ready to go wherever she lead him. He also walked very carefully, avoiding stepping on any living creature, and ate only grass that was already picked and dead, and so could suffer no more harm.

In China, the _ki-lin's_ first appearance was in about the year 2800 B.C. Writing had not been invented, and the Emperor was sitting on the banks of the Yellow River, wondering how could tell his thoughts to people who were not yet born. Just then a unicorn came out of the river, and the Emperor noticed magic signs on his back. He copied them down and used them as the basis of a written language.

After that, the _ki-lin_ made several appearances, which was always regarded as proof that the Emperor was good and his people happy; but when the Chinese were fighting civil wars, the gentle _ki-lin_ was not to be seen.

For a long time he was absent – but not forgotten. The Chinese hoped that some day they would see him again, for he was a sign that all was well in the land. So when, in the fifteenth century, the crew of a Chinese merchant ship found in East Africa a gentle creature with bony knobbles on its forehead, whose name, _girin_, was pronounced almost exactly like _ki-lin_, they carried it straight back to China. In this way the first giraffe arrived in Peking.

In Europe, the first description of a unicorn was written by a Greek physician who had worked for seventeen years at the court of Darius II, King of Persia. He told of the marvellous power of the animal's horn which, he said, could detect poison. Belief in this story grew and grew, and by the Middle Ages trade in 'unicorn's horns' was very brisk. People believed that poison would make even the smallest fragment of the miraculous horn give off drops of moisture and change colour. So rich people had cups made from horn, while the poor bought tiny fragments to protect them from possible poison. Horns were also thought to cure sicknesses – at one time, powdered horn was worth ten times its weight in gold. Queen Elizabeth I had a 'unicorn's horn' which was said to be worth £100,000. A/N: In those days, a LOT In fact, all these horns were either the horns of rhinoceroses or the teeth of a very strange creature, sometimes called a sea-unicorn: the narwhal. The left tooth of the narwhal is of ivory, and grows in a spiral to about eight feet long. Such teeth were found washed up on remote Arctic shores, and it is not surprising that people firmly believed that they were the horns of the strange and marvellous unicorn.

The unicorn has its place in history, too. For many centuries before 1707 the unicorn had been part of the royal coat of arms of Scotland. In 1707 England conquered Scotland, the two countries became one, and one coat of arms was made, showing the Scottish unicorn and the English lion. The fact that the line (who, like the Phoenix, represents the Sun) was the traditional conqueror of its enemy the moon unicorn, and the fact that the two animals were symbols of two warring countries, are shown in the nursery rhyme first sung at the time, and still popular today:

_The lion and the Unicorn_

_Were fighting for the crown_

_The Lion beat the Unicorn_

_All round the town_

_(Some gave the white bread_

_Some gave them brown_

_Some gave them plum pudding_

_And drummed them out of town!)

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Kai took a deep breath and gazed around at the enraptured faces. "So there you have it. The Unicorn, both fact and fiction."

"Another who is like their bit-beast" Brooklyn mused thoughtfully. Heads turned.

"What do you mean?" asked Tyson. Everyone – including the Frenchman looked surprised and intrigued.

Brooklyn yawned. "Kai can explain it better than I can," he stated, nodding to the blue-haired blader at the front. "After all, you've noted the similarities before, haven't you?" Kai nodded silently. Oliver turned towards the Russian and gazed at him pleadingly.

"Please Kai, can't you explain? I do believe I have a right to know!" Kai sighed.

"You don't have to look at me that way. And it's easy to figure it out."

"Please Kai!" Oliver all but wailed. Kai looked exasperated.

"McGregor!" he snapped.

"Sir!" Johnny saluted.

"Tell me some traits of the Unicorn."

"Gentle?" the Scott offered. "But with hidden power."

"Like Oliver!" exclaimed Enrique. "He's really kind and gentle to everyone, but he really is a force to be reckoned with, it's just that people don't realize it."

"And so you get different stories." Continued Robert. "No-one really knows what to expect and Oliver's known for different things in different parts of the World."

"Really guys," protested the greenette. "I'm not like that."

"Yes," Brooklyn stated, "you are."

"Well," Kai broke the short silence. "Story time is over. Training tomorrow so off you kids go. Bedtime." The blading enigma exited the room, a smirk on his face, accompanied by yells.

"WE'RE NOT KIDS!"

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A/N: Sorry if I chose a long-winded way of starting…I just…wrote…and sorry that it ended so abruptly, but that is how the chapter in the book ended and I copied it verbatim. So, don't you think that Oliver's like a Unicorn? Plus he's 'pretty boy beautiful' (as much as you can get for the first season of beyblade anyway…) I was thinking of maybe doing a griffin next, for Robert…but I'll have to do more research on that one…Well, reading break is coming up soon, so we'll see. Again, sorry for the long wait! 


	3. AN: short note

**A/N**: Sorry!

**Summary**: This fic will be updated again between the 20th of December and the New Year. Not before. Thank you for your patience

Warning: Ranting and raving, please skip to the end

Disclaimer: Yes! Finally I own something! All thoughts, pitiful excuses and pathetic whining belongs to me!

I will now proceed to rant and rave and give poor excuses, **please read the type in bold as it actually is important.**

First off: **I WILL CONTINUE this fic **I'm just a little short on inspiration. I have notes on the Griffin that I copied from the net, I just have to figure how to put it into a story type form. As I am unemployed, I will be doing this while others are working hard for well-earned money...during the Chistmas break. SO, **hopefully the next post will be between Dec 20th and the new year.**

**Time is hard to come by**. I have six courses, four of which are lab courses, one scheduled outside of classes, two with scheduled class times, and one unsceduled outside of classes. They take up a fair chunk of time. As do the assignments and homework from the other two. And studying for finals. Yes, Just when I thought mids were over and done with, the second round comes up. Which is now...when I'm done with these current tests, it's time for finals. My last final is on the 19th of December.

I take two buses, and while the second one is less packed (I get on when it's empty and get off when it's empty ) it's also shorter. And when the bus is full to almost literally bursting, there's not a lot of elbow room...And I've taken to sleeping on the buses too, so less time to write.

Here's how my day went: Missed the first bus so my Mother had to give me a lift to the centre. Almost missed my first stop and DID my miss my second stop today. then missed the next bus back and since I'm a directionally challenged idiot who's useless without a map, I ended up waiting at the bus stop for 20 mins. When the temperature was minus 1. Without gloves because I forgot which bag I had put them in. And with a rain-jacket since I foolishly assumed that I wasn't going to be waiting at any bus stop that long. Then I missed my Chem lab cos I was studying for Math. Then I almost missed my bus cos the tranfer was late. Then I skipped English, but the Library closed so I couldn't print out my paper and had to ask a friend to hand it in since I'm at a different campus. And tomorrow I'll leave the house at 7 and won't get back till 10:30...if the buses come on time...14 hours of school...oh joy...

Okay, I'm done! Two pieces of randomness that I picked up from other people and fics:

**I died in a car crash and left my sanity behind with a tricycle**

**Anatidaephobia: The fear that somewhere, somehow, a duck is watching you**


	4. Grand Gryphon

A/N: Okay, I know people have been looking forward to this for pretty much a year and a half. I deeply apologize, and I have no excuse (does life count?). I will tell you that it took a lot of effort in sifting through research materials though! (9 pages on Word…)

Warning: None really, just the fact that these tales are not exactly about the bit-beasts, more about the mythical beasts that they represent, and certainly not about the bladders.

Summary: The majestic Gryphon spreads it's wings through a multitude of legends. (and yes, that is the correct spelling, but I'll use the more modern one in the story)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story, nor do I own the myths.

References: For "the Fable of the Phoenix and "the Unicorn Unveiled"

Colyer, Penrose. "The Phoenix and the Unicorn." Famous and Fabulous Animals. Copyright © 1973 by Eurobook ltd.

For "the Grand Gryphon."

http(colon)(forward-slash)(forward-slash)en(dot)wikipedia(dot)org(forward-slash)wiki(forward-slash)Griffin

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**The Grand Gryphon**

"Hey Brooklyn…"

"Yes, Oliver?" The ginger-headed male smiled politely at the young chef.

"I was wondering, you said that me and Kai-"

"Kai and I" Emily corrected absentmindedly, not taking her eyes of the screen of the computer, thus not noticing the mild glare the Frenchman shot her.

"You said that we were like our bit-beasts, yes?" Brooklyn's smile became a little more genuine as he settled more comfortably in the chair.

"And what of it?"

"Well… I was wondering if there were any others like us…"

"Of course." Oliver jumped at the sudden appearance of the two-toned blunette while Brooklyn didn't even blink as Kai gracefully folded himself into the chair beside the psychic. "Why do you think you have such a strong bond. For that matter, how do you think the beasts choose their masters?" Oliver looked at the Russian, wide-eyed.

"I…well…I guess I never really thought about it. I don't know many of the traits of the other mythical beasts or animals that the bladers have…except Griffins. I know that they're majestic and so is Robert…" He trailed off as he saw the corner's of Kai's mouth twitch.

"Robert is like a Griffin, yes, but they're not only majestic. You don't know too much of that particular hybrid, do you?"

"I don't think anyone does, want to enlighten, Kai?" Scarlet eyes looked in annoyance at the Chinese who was leaning around Oliver's chair. "You did such a good job the first two times after all!"

"Rei…"

"Hey, everyone! Who wants to hear about the legends of the Griffin!" The neko-jin grinned cheekily at his Captain when he received a general shout of encouragement. Kai sighed wearily, casting a 'look' at Brooklyn while the younger bladers crowded around on the floor. The older teens either moved their chairs forward or turned them around, but all were eager to hear about another mythical beast.

"The existence of the Griffin is more fantastic than that of the Phoenix or the Unicorn, for it is a hybrid, part bird, part mammal…

The griffin is said to be a hybrid between a lion and an eagle. Some say that its entire body is that of a lion, with the wings, head and talons of the eagle with it's back covered in feather. Others say the lower-half is that of a lion, and the upper-half of its body an eagle. There are a few legends that link the Griffin to a chimera, claiming it has the tail of a snake. The size of their talons were such that people could hollow them out and use them as drinking-cups.

It is similar to birds in its habits, as it builds nests, mostly on the sides of mountains, most likely the Himalayas, as India is thought to be its Native country, and there is a reason for this. The Griffins would make their nests of gold and precious woods that they found on and around the mountains. Instead of eggs, the Griffins would lay agates the size of Ostrich eggs.

Of course, all these riches in one place would attract the attention of thieves, bandits and desperate men. Like dragons, the Griffins had instincts that let them know where buried treasure lay, and they guarded their nests fiercely from all comers.

There is one tribe that I will but mention the name of; the Armaspians, a one-eyed people of Scythia flourished alongside the Griffins, their names closely linked in this part of the legend. Griffins were also said to inhabit the Scythia steppes that reached from modern Ukraine to central Asia. The Scythians used the remains of giant petrified bones as proof of the Griffin's existence, yet most palaeontologists believe that they are simply dinosaur fossils. The tales of hunters never returning from the mountains can be put down to rock falls and the dangers of a mountain rather than a Griffin leaping out and tearing them to shreds.

As the lion is considered the "King of Beasts" and the eagle the "King of Air", the Griffin is said to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. Like the Phoenix, they were consecrated to the Sun, some ancient painters representing the Sun chariot drawn by Griffins. There are also divine figures in Egyptian mythology that are depicted as griffins, including the Gods Sefer, Sefert and Axex. Ancient Greek paintings and sculptures, the earliest from Minoan, Creete show the Griffins as royal animals and guardians of the throne rooms. Ancient Elamites used Griffin symbols extensively in their architecture and the beasts were also presented to their Gods. In Persian mythology and literature, Griffins were commonly seen as statues and symbols in palaces, and were said to be guardians of the light.

Going from mythology to a religion, one of the Griffins more prominent appearances in Europe is linked to Christianity. Stephen Scotus, a 9th century Irish writer asserted that Griffins were highly monogamous. They mated for life and even if one parent died, they would not search for another partner. This upheld the early Christian's views and Griffins were made an emblem of the Church's view on remarriage. Furthermore, being in part both a flying and land-bound animal, Griffins were seen in Christianity to be a symbol of Jesus Christ as He was both human and divine.

One last note; however improbable the existence of the Griffin may seem, there is one other creature that is more improbable still. The Griffins are said have one great enemy that they dislike more than fight, and that is the horse. Despite this, there are some records of the existence of their mating and subsequent offspring – the rarest of all mythical creatures save only the Phoenix – the Hippogriff.

"Wow," Tyson commented after a brief silence, "I haven't even heard of some of those places. The Elam- what?"

"Elamites" Kai corrected. "And I wouldn't expect you to know. The Griffins are said to have resided an Eastern and Central Asia. Even today that land is marked by sparsely populated mountainous regions with deadly climatic affects. Away from the Ocean, it can be blistering during the day and past freezing during the night, the rocks gaining and losing heat far quicker in the desert, and that's only in the foothills. The rain-shadow effect causes the North facing slopes to be considerably colder and drier. The higher up one goes – nearer to where the Griffins are said to reside – the more dangerous and extreme the region, hence why people can lose their lives so easily."

"That's really scary, Kai." Matilda muttered. Most of the younger bladers and the girls nodded in agreement.

"Well it's certainly one of the more extreme animals, and by far one of the most dangerous, as adept on the ground as it is in the air." Claude remarked.

"I find it quite fascinating." Raul added.

"Does that answer you question?" Kai asked suddenly, turning to Oliver. "Of how Robert is like his bit-beast?" Robert, who had been silent, blushed slightly.

"But isn't Robert German?" commented Michael, scratching his head in confusion, "you said Griffins were found mainly in Asia."

"Try going by the traits and not the origin." Julia offered dryly. "Oliver isn't exactly Chinese either, and that's where the Unicorn originated." Oliver grinned at her.

"Robert is, in a sense, a hybrid." Kai replied, leaning back with his eyes closed once more. "A young, noble lord, yet he practices beyblade, a sport that originated on the streets."

"As feudal lords, I'm sure the history of that castle includes more than a few peasants going 'missing'." Brooklyn added lazily.

"Centuries ago!" Robert defended.

"Though lords always did guard their gold closely…" Johnny mused thoughtfully.

"One of the most prominent symbols of the European lords is the lion. It appears on more than a few coat-of-arms and crests." Said Kai

"And while it is highly doubtful that the nobility is monogamous, they have a lower divorce rate then 'normal people.'" Brooklyn finished.

"And of course Robert is Majestic, easily handling his role at his father's company and fitting in with us!" Enrique cried.

"Really…" Robert flushed darker. "I'm not-"

"Yes." Everyone turned to look at Brooklyn in surprise. He had used a forceful tone that brooked no argument." "You really are like the Griffin and how your team-mates have described you. _That_ is why chose you as his master."

Standing up, the white-clad teen stretched languidly, turning one eye to his neighbour. "Coming, Kai?" The blunette unfolded himself and stood up gracefully. Without a word, the two enigmatic bladers made their way through the quiet, crowded room to the door.

"Good night!"

* * *

A/N: Yeah… so, you saw that I put up references? That's where I got the info from, mostly wikipedia. And what I said about the Central Asia, that's true. I looked it up on online Brittanica winks. Once I actually sat down and sifted through the info I had collected last time, it was a cinch to write. (Oh, ignore the part about nobles haveing lower divorce rates. It was probably true about 20 years ago, but who knows nowadays? It was thought shameful if you divorced, but today people agree on pre-nuptials before even considering marriage.)

I feel as if I need an introduction to these tales. You know, make it more of a story rather than a badly constructed essay. But if people don't want the (lame) intro, I can just as easily skip to the 'facts'.

So, I've realised than it takes less than a half-hour to gather the info, another 15 mins to sort it out, and a little over an hour to actually write it. Who/what do you want to see next? – Keeping in mind of course that I will only write about the _mythical_ beats, not your standard tiger or salamander. (Might do those later…maybe…probably not…)


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